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How are Data Standards Developed?
As a member of the Environmental Data Standards Council (EDSC) (www.envdatastandards.net), EPA takes an active role in the development of data standards. The EDSC has established a collaborative approach for States, Tribes, and the Federal Government to set data standards that improves the quality, reuse, and compatibility of commonly exchanged environmental information/data. Data standardization involves developing agreed upon names, definitions, attributes, and structure for shared data.
The EDSC data standards development process consists of four stages: Proposal, Development, Adoption, and Review. A description of the activities for each stage is presented below.
While this is the typical process of data standards development, there are alternative methods. For example, a program may develop program-specific standards (see the water data standards page, http://iaspub.epa.gov/edr/owstd$.startup) or a data standard previous adopted by a national or international standards organization could be adopted.
Proposal (EDSC)
The need for a particular standard is identified and a request is submitted to the Council. EPA program offices, States, Tribes, or individuals may submit candidate standards.
The Council uses specific criteria in deciding whether a standard should be developed/adopted, including determining if the candidate standard:
- Contributes to immediate protection of environment and public health;
- Facilitates information use outside originating agency or across multiple platforms or allows aggregation or using information in secondary and multiple environments;
- Reduces cost or burden to regulators and to the regulated, or is a key anchor, cross-cutting foundation, or building block;
- Baselines environmental information; and
- Improves the performance of programs.
Development (EDSC)
If the Council determines a standard should be developed/adopted, it will commission a subject matter Action Team to review existing standards for adoption and/or develop a draft data standard. Membership on the Action Team may consist of State, Tribal, and/or Agency personnel.
Through a series of consensus-based team meetings, the Action Team develops a draft standard that is reviewed by the Council and then undergoes a broad-based public review process. After the Council has received comments and made subsequent changes, it will approve the standard and make it publicly available via the EDSC Web site.
Adoption (EPA)
If the EPA determines that the standard is appropriate for Agency implementation, the EPA Data Standards Branch (in the Office of Environmental Information) will develop the Agency business rules for the data standard. The business rules identify specific implementation dates, affected systems, review cycle, and procedural guidelines for using the standard. Representatives from EPA offices that may be affected by the data standard review and provide comments on the draft business rules. The standard and the business rules are submitted to the Exchange Network Subcommittee (ENS) of the Quality and Information Council (QIC) for review and comment. After comments have been addressed, the standard and business rules are submitted for approval to the QIC as an Agency final data standard. Upon QIC approval, the CIO issues a memorandum to the Agency announcing the promulgation of the standard.
The final data standard is posted in the Environmental Data Registry (EDR) and is then available for implementation into EPA information systems. If the final standard is not approved, the Action Team returns to the consensus building process.
Review (EPA and/or EDSC)
Any standard adopted by the EPA needs to be reviewed periodically to maintain usefulness and applicability. The periodic review cycle for a standard is identified in the business rules. Any interested stakeholder may initiate requests for data standard review at any time. If a change to the business rules is requested, the business rules data steward can make changes and submit the revised business rules to the QIC for approval. If a change to the data standard is requested, the EDSC will review the request. Minor changes, such as the extension of a permissible value list with additional examples, the addition of a new value to reflect new technology, or trivial text changes, may be approved by the EDSC without convening a committee. If it is determined that the standard must be substantially modified, an Action Team will be reconvened to revise and update the standard. If it is decided that a standard should be retired, the CIO will issue a memorandum to that effect.
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